Comminuting apparatus with comminuting member

ABSTRACT

A comminuting apparatus. A receptacle is provided for liquids which contain solids. The receptacle has a bottom wall on which rests at least one and, if desired, more than one comminuting member slidable thereon. A drive is associated with the member and serves to slidably advance it on the bottom wall in a substantially circular path while permitting the member to perform independent movements in direction radially and/or tangentially with respect to the path.

Inventor Ernst Frei Wurenlingen, Switzerland Appl. No. 811,322 FiledMar. 28, 1969 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 Assignee Meto-Bau AG Wurenlingen,Switzerland COMMINUTING APPARATUS WITH [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 43,589 7/1864 Kenyon 241/ 123 349,458 9/ 1886 Scoville341/4606 Primary ExaminerDonald G. Kelly AttorneyMichael S. StrikerABSTRACT: A comminuting apparatus. A receptacle is provided for liquidswhich contain solids. The receptacle has a bottom wall on which rests atleast one and, if desired, more than one comminuting member slidablethereon. A drive is associated with the member and serves to slidablyadvance it on the bottom wall in a substantially circular path whilepermitting the member to perform independent movements in directionradially and/or tangentially with respect to the path.

COMMINUTING MEMBER 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 241/90, 24l/46.06, 241/110, 241/114, 241/123 Int. Cl 1302c 19/00Field of Search 241/46.06, 79.2, 90, 109-110, 114, 123-124, 127,132-133, 199, 203, 220

m F////////xy AMMMH-MWV//////A// COMMINUTING APPARATUS WITH COMMINUTINGMEMBER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relatesgenerally to the comminuting field, and more particularly to acomminuting apparatus.

Hereafter the invention will be described with respect to its employmentin conjunction with sewage clarifiers, but I wish it to be understoodthat the invention is operative and applicable in a much wider field ofapplications and that its employment in conjunction with sewageclarification apparatus represents merely a particularly advantageouspossibility of use which is being discussed herein for explanatorypurposes.

In sewage or waste water clarifiers which operate on the so called totaloxidation principle well known to those skilled in the art and thereforenot in need of explanation herein, proper operation is largely dependentupon the particle size of solids contained in the waste water to beclarified. Unless the particle size is very small, this type ofclarifying apparatus will not operate properly. Conventionally it isknown in clarifiers of this type to pass the raw sewage, that is theuntreated waste water with its solids content, first through a gridwhich retains a certain portion of the solids. These are then advancedto a coarse-comminutor and subsequently into a settling tank where thesolids settle at the bottom of the tank whereas the floatable particlesremain floating near the surface of the liquid in the tank and arewithdrawn and conveyed via suitable pumps to the decomposition tanks.Here, again, the lighter floatable solids again rise to the surface andthere from a blanket or layer which constitutes an impediment to thesludgedrying process. All of this is of course known to those skilled inthe art and requires no detailed discussion. It is necessary, however,to point out that the aforementioned problems, and in particular thefact that the various different types of sludge which form in theapparatus do not constitute a homogenous mass but instead containquantities of solids, are disadvantages which prevent sewage treatingapparatus of the type under discussion from operating in proper mannerand efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the presentinvention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus far effecting the comminution of solids.

In accordance with the above objects, and others which will becomeapparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provisionof a comminuting apparatus which comprises a receptacle having a bottomwall on which at least one comminuting member slidably rests in theinterior of the receptacle. Drive means is associated with the memberand is operative for slidably advancing the same in a substantiallycircular path while enabling this member to have concomitant componentsof movement at least in direction radially of the path.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a section taken on the lineII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a top plane view of FIG. 1 with the cover of the vesselremoved for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration analogous to FIG. 2 but showing threecomminuting members rather than a single one as In FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a different type of comminuting memberwith the drive therefor being fragmentarily shown;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG.

4; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing indetail, and firstly to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2thereof, it will be seen that a vessel is generally identified withreference numeral 1. The vessel is stationary and comprises a bottomwall 3 and a circumferential wall 7 whose inner surface may be provided,as illustrated, with one or more ribs 9 extending inwardly into theinterior of the vessel. The bottom wall of the vessel I is provided witha plurality of openings 5 which may be, as shown, of constant crosssection or of a cross section which continuously or stepwise diverges indirection from the inner side towards the outer side of the bottom wall3. It will be appreciated, of course, that the bottom wall may beprovided with openings which are all of identical cross-sectionalconfiguration or with openings of various different cross-sectionalconfigurations, the latter case being shown in FIG. 1. It will befurther appreciated that the bottom wall may be provided with suchopenings only at one or certain locations, with the former possibilityillustrated in FIG. I, or that it may also be provided with the openings5 over its entire area. The purpose of having the openings diverge indirection from the inner towards the outer side of the bottom wall 3 isto prevent clogging of the openings by jamming of solid particles inthem.

The exemplary illustrated vessel is of the type into which waste waterhaving a solids content is introduced through the inlet 11. A cover 13is provided overlying the upper open side of the vessel I (and omittedin FIG. 2 for clarity of illustration) and this cover 13 is secured tothe circumferential wall 7 of the vessel by one or more hingearrangements 15 and may be locked in closed position illustrated in FIG.1, by one or more closure devices 17 which cooperate with a flangeprovided on the circumferential wall 7. The construction of the hingesl5 and the closure devices 17 is immaterial and will be well known tothose skilled in the art. The purpose of having the cover 13 hingedlyconnected with the vessel 1 is to facilitate access to the interior ofthe vessel 1 for inspection and/or servicrng.

The cover 13 is provided with an aperture 19 through which a rotatableshaft 21 extends into the interior of the vessel 1. It is to beunderstood that while the shaft 21 is shown only as ex tending slightlyabove the cover 13, it will actually extend farther above than what isshown and will be coupled in suitable manner with a suitable drive,neither of which features constitutes a part of the invention. Theimportant feature is the fact that the shaft 21 is tumable about its ownaxis. Its lower end received in the interior of the receptacle I carriesa laterally extending arm, disc 23 as shown in FIG. 1, starshaped memberanalogous to the disc 23, or the like, and the disc analogous member isprovided with one or more coupling pins 25 as illustrated. The reasonwhy I have specified one or more of the pins 25 will be found in FIG. 3where it is illustrated, as still to be discussed, that more than onecomminuting member may be provided which then requires the provision ofan individual pin 25 for each such comminuting member.

A helix 27 is provided on and surrounds the shaft 21 for the purpose ofdownwardly advancing solids for comminution by the comminuting member.The helix may, however, also be omitted or replaced with anotherconstruction serving the same purpose.

Corning now to the comminuting member it will be seen that this isgenerally identified with reference numeral 29 and rests on the innerside of the bottom wall 3. It is slidable on this inner side. In theillustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 the comminuting member 29 isprovided with a central opening 31 into which the pin 25 extends withlateral clearance, as illustrated. In other words, the opening 31 isconsiderably larger than the diameter of the pin 25.

As visible in FIG. 1, the comminuting member 29 is pro vided with aplurality of cutting and crushing edges 33 on its underside which facesthe inner side of the bottom wall 3, as

well as with an additional plurality of analogous edges 35 provided atits circumference. Channels 37 provided in the underside of thecomminuting member 29 make possible sloshing and flowing of the matterto be treated underneath the comminuting member 29 as the same moves.

In operation of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft 21 isrotated about its longitudinal axis and thereby compels the comminutingmember 29-by virtue of the connection via the disc 23 and the pin 25toperform movement in a substantially circular path on the inner side ofthe bottom wall 3. However, because of the difference in the diametersof the pin 25 and the opening 31 in the comminuting member 29, thelatter is capable of simultaneously shifting radially and tangentiallywith reference to the path and the shaft 21. The centrifugal forceresulting from the movement of the member 29 in its substantiallycircular path attempts to press the member 29 against the inner side ofthe circumferencial wall 7. This contact, which is either direct orindirect through the intermediary of solids which are entrapped betweenthe circumferential roll 7 and the comminuting member 29 and are beingcrushed and comminuted, imparts an independent rotational movement tothe member 29. This means that in operation of the device the member 29performs intermittent precessing movements combined with shifting in thedistance of the member 29 from the axis of the shaft 21. Thus, themember 29 provides a combined crushing, cutting, rubbing, hammering, andgrinding action against the solids and is enabled to finely comminutethe solids.

lt will be appreciated that the pressure of the member 29 against thebottom wall 3, and thereby a part of the force acting against the solidsto be comminuted, depends upon the weight of the member 29.

Comminuted material flows out of the openings in the bottom wall 3. Tothe extent that solids are not immediately comminuted to their requisiteextent, they constantly move back into engagement with the member 29 andthe bottom wall 3 and circumferential wall 7 of the vessel duringoperation of the device so that after a certain period of time allsolids are comminuted to such an extent that they will flow through theopenings 5 as a mixture which for practical purposes is homogenous.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 in diagrammatic form, the single comminutingmember 29 may be replaced with several of which three are illustrated inFIG. 3. In this case the disc 23, the arm or analogous member will beprovided with a number of pins 25 corresponding to the number of members29. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 where three of the members 29 areprovided, it is advantageous to oonfigurate the number 23 in astar-shaped outline as shown.

It should be pointed out that the member or members 29 may be providedwithout the edges 33 and 35 and without the channels 37 and will stillbe operational.

Coming, finally, to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 it will beseen that the member 29 may be replaced with a crushing and cuttingmember 46 of block shape or beam shape, as shown for instance in FIG. 4.In this case the rotary drive shaft 40 is provided with a guide head 42which is formed at its underside with a slot 44 embracing thecomminuting member 46 in such a manner that the latter is free to slidein axial direction of the slot 44 as well as to perform movementstransverse to the axial direction due to the lateral clearance shown inFIG. 5. Depending upon the amount of play provided between the member 46and the head 42, the member 46 may in this embodiment also be capable ofradial shifting with respect to the circumferential wall 7.

Resort to my novel apparatus enables uniform comminution of solids incontinuously or intermittently supplied waste water. It is simple andinexpensive, it is astonishingly free from malfunction possibilities,and it can be used for comminuting all types of solids because it isequally effective with all such types. My apparatus is capable ofcomminuting floating as well as settling types of solids, hard and softsolids, fibrous solids whose fibers may be long or short, and it willprovide comminuted particles whose size is determined substantially bythe diameter of the openings 5 in the bottom wall 3 so that, by changingthis diameter, the extent to which the solids are comminuted can bedetermined. Furthermore, I have found through tests conducted by me thatmy device in this type of construction is suitable also for dewateringpurposes in that the comminuted sludgelike solids and a portion of thewater is withdrawn either through the openings 5 or through suitableoutlets in the bottom region of the receptacle, whereas the separatedwater and possibly small quantities of comminuted solids are withdrawnfrom the upper portion of the receptacle.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofconstructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in acomminuter for solids contained in waste water, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to the protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:

I. A comminuting apparatus comprising, in combination, a receptaclehaving a bottom wall; at least one comminuting member in the interior ofsaid receptacle and slidably resting on said bottom wall; and drivemeans associated with said member and operative for slidably advancingsaid member in a substantially circular path with concomitantperformance of an orbital movement by said member.

2. A comminuting apparatus comprising, in combination, a receptaclehaving a bottom wall; at least one comminuting member in the interior ofsaid receptacle slidably resting on said bottom wall; and drive meansassociated with said member and operative for slidably advancing thesame in a substantially circular path with concomitant components ofmovement of said member at least in direction radially of said path,said drive means comprising a motion-imparting element operative foradvancing said member in said path, and coupling means coupling saidmember to said element with freedom of independent rotational movementof the former relative to the latter and to said bottom wall.

3. A comminuting apparatus comprising, in combination, a receptaclehaving a bottom wall; at least least one comminuting member in theinterior of said receptacle slidably resting on said bottom wall; anddrive means associated with said member and operative for slidablyadvancing said member in a substantially circular path with concomitantcomponents of movement of said member at least in direction radially ofsaid path, said drive means comprising a motion-imparting elementoperative for advancing said member to said path, and coupling meanscoupling said member to said element with freedom of independentmovement tangentially with reference to said path.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said drive means comprising amotion-imparting element operative for advancing said member in saidpath, and coupling means coupling said member to said element.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said coupling means coupling saidmember to said element in such a manner that said member is free toperform a said orbital movement during movement in said path.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said vessel and said bottom wallbeing stationary.

7. A comminuting apparatus, comprising, in combination, a receptaclehaving a stationary bottom wall provided at least in part with aplurality of apertures which are bounded at the inner side of saidbottom wall by cutting edges; at least one comminuting member in theinterior of said receptacle and slidably resting on said bottom wall;and drive means associated with said member and operative for slidablyadvancing the same in a substantially circular path with concomitantcomponents of movement of said member at least in direction radially ofsaid path.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said vessel further having acircumferential wall provided atthe inner side thereof with at least oneinwardly extending projection cooperating with said member.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising additionalmembers similar to the first-mentioned member spaced therefrom on saidbottom wall and operatively associated with said drive means forperforming movements analogous to those of said first-mentioned member.

1. A comminuting apparatus comprising, in combination, a receptaclehaving a bottom wall; at least one comminuting member in the interior ofsaid receptacle and slidably resting on said bottom wall; and drivemeans associated with said member and operative for slidably advancingsaid member in a substantially circular path with concomitantperformance of an orbital movement by said member.
 2. A comminutingapparatus comprising, in combination, a receptacle having a bottom wall;at least one comminuting member in the interior of said receptacleslidably resting on said bottom wall; and drive means associated withsaid member and operative for slidably advancing the same in asubstantially circular path with concomitant components of movement ofsaid member at least in direction radially of said path, said drivemeans comprising a motion-imparting element operative for advancing saidmember in said path, and coupling means coupling said member to saidelement with freedom of independent rotational movement of the formerrelative to the latter and to said bottom wall.
 3. A comminutingapparatus comprising, in combination, a receptacle having a bottom wall;at least least one comminuting member in the interior of said receptacleslidably resting on said bottom wall; and drive means associated withsaid member and operative for slidably advancing said member in asubstantially ciRcular path with concomitant components of movement ofsaid member at least in direction radially of said path, said drivemeans comprising a motion-imparting element operative for advancing saidmember to said path, and coupling means coupling said member to saidelement with freedom of independent movement tangentially with referenceto said path.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said drive meanscomprising a motion-imparting element operative for advancing saidmember in said path, and coupling means coupling said member to saidelement.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said coupling meanscoupling said member to said element in such a manner that said memberis free to perform a said orbital movement during movement in said path.6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said vessel and said bottom wallbeing stationary.
 7. A comminuting apparatus, comprising, incombination, a receptacle having a stationary bottom wall provided atleast in part with a plurality of apertures which are bounded at theinner side of said bottom wall by cutting edges; at least onecomminuting member in the interior of said receptacle and slidablyresting on said bottom wall; and drive means associated with said memberand operative for slidably advancing the same in a substantiallycircular path with concomitant components of movement of said member atleast in direction radially of said path.
 8. A comminuting apparatuscomprising, in combination, a receptacle having a bottom wall providedwith a plurality of apertures whose cross section increases in directionfrom the inner towards the outer side of said bottom wall; at least onecomminuting member in the interior of said receptacle and slidablyresting on said bottom wall; and drive means associated with said memberand operative for slidably advancing the same in a substantiallycircular path with concomitant components of movement of said member atleast in direction radially of said path.
 9. An apparatus as defined inclaim 1, said vessel further having a circumferential wall provided atthe inner side thereof with at least one inwardly extending projectioncooperating with said member.
 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1,further comprising additional members similar to the first-mentionedmember spaced therefrom on said bottom wall and operatively associatedwith said drive means for performing movements analogous to those ofsaid first-mentioned member.